I've been doing my 2nd playthrough so I can do the DLC finally, this time with no spirit ashes. Its been long enough where things feel fresh, and I'm taking the playthrough slow. The game definitely very high tier in terms of production and it is very polished, and I think that alone puts it above many other games. Gameplay is one of its weaker aspects and it is especially evident late game once you progress beyond the capital.

Many encounters become attempts to "jump" the player with stunlocks while doing overtuned damage, and the response expected from the player is luring enemies out one by one or employing the most spam/abusive gimmicks they can find. And the enemies are reused to much that you almost have to force yourself to keep engaging with them. The bosses themselves also become shitfests that are more a test of patience rather than an engaging battle. They have very few windows of opportunity to attack which you have to specifically wait for, and if you decide you want to attack between their attacks, you will get punished for it. And the core of the fighting itself is just poor. They want to ramp up the intensity of the fights clearly, but the inputs from the player are just not responsive enough to keep up. There is zero reason for action queues to exist, and there is zero reason for action canceling not to exist, especially when bosses/enemies can execute attacks much faster than you can.

The open world is cool, but visually only. Just becomes a slog once you know what you're looking for. There's no reason these things couldn't exist in a more traditional zone. There isn't anything that makes it engaging.

The game is hard carried by its worldbuilding, art, and the legacy dungeons. These really pull you in and every new area looks like a painting. And the legacy dungeons are generally well designed and unique. Without these areas, and the overall atmosphere of the game, I don't think it would be nearly as well liked.